Pirates of the Caribbean 4: A New Breed
by Natures-Rose
Summary: When pirates overtake a ship, stealing its cargo and taking its crew as prisoners, they have no idea who they're messing with when they capture Elizabeth and Will's son, Noah. Old friends unite, taking on a quest to save Noah from a new breed of pirates.
1. The Beginning

Our story starts twenty years after Will Turner became Captain of the Flying Dutchman and ten years after meeting his son and Elizabeth for the first time.

* * *

The dyeing screams of men carried throughout the ship as sailors fell to the sword and pistol of the pirates attacking the merchant ship, _The__ Porthos_. Noah swung his sword, fighting off enemy after enemy, cutting down the numerous pirates. His back was against the side of the ship. Surrounded, he prepared to jump over the edge into the water below and grab a hold of one of the pieces of wood that was floating past. Canon fire rocked the boat and as it swayed side-to-side Noah was unexpectedly sent flying through the air when one of the riggings came loose and hit him. His head hit the side of the great wheel at the helm and he lapsed into unconsciousness. The last sight before his eyes slid shut was his captain falling to the sword of one of the pirates.

When he next awoke he found himself in the brig of a ship. A few of his shipmates also resided in the cell with him, but no one was awake as of yet.

"Bloody Pirates," he said to himself. "No wonder my mother spurns the lot of them." Picking himself up, he dusted himself off. As he straightened out his coat his fingers brushed against a piece of parchment in one of the pockets. Frantically he pulled it out checking the date.

"Damn it all! Mother's going to kill me." As he stared at the paper, Noah heard the soft click of boots on wood. Walking over to the door of the barred cell he glanced out.

"I see that at least one of you is up," a pirate said as he approached the cell. "The captain requests you and your mates presences on deck. Since you can't exactly leave and get up there yourselves I'll come and collect you. Anyone not awake will be shot." Turning on his heel the pirate left Noah with the task of awakening his shipmates.

By some miracle of miracles, Noah managed to awaken all of them within the hour. The first mate seemed to be a little put out by the fact. Chaining the prisoners together, he made sure to push Noah into the back of the line, directly behind Robin, his best friend. The pirate then led the small party onto the deck. Noah blinked, as he was lead out of the dark underbelly of the ship.

"When was the sun ever this bright?" he muttered to himself. Robin chuckled softly.

"You'd think you'd never seen the sun before," he responded. The two stopped their whispered banter when the group stopped before a huge chair, the rival of any monarch's throne. A young man in his early twenties, justly slightly older than Noah, sat upon it observing the prisoners.

"Each of you will step forward and present yourselves, full name and rank, when I point at you," commanded the captain. "I wish to see if you are of any value to me." The pirate captain went down the line, nodding thoughtfully as each person introduced themselves. Finally the captain pointed at Noah. Noah stepped forward, cleared his throat and directly looking into the eyes of the captain presented himself.

"I am first mate Noah James Turner."

* * *

Elizabeth sat in the town tavern sipping absentmindedly at her mug of rum. Her ship sailed out soon, heading towards Tortuga where she hoped to find a ship and a crew so she could start looking for Noah. It had been seventy-two hours since Will had boarded The Dutchman and left to once again ferry souls to the world beyond. He had agreed to look out for Noah and send word if he saw him. Sighing she swirled her drink in its container, watching the small, amber whirlpool in the middle. She had imagined her meeting with Will being a whole lot more…festive. But then again she hadn't imagined that Noah would be kidnapped by Pirates, especially if the rumors held true that the ship had had black sails. A clock chimed in the distance, tolling the tenth hour of the morning. Heaving another sigh, she downed the rest of her rum and headed out of the tavern, towards the ship that waited in the harbor.

* * *

Noah was discussing with Robin escape planes when the first mate appeared at the cell keys in had. Upon unlocking the cell, he stepped inside, beckoning at Noah to come. Noah ignored the first mate and continued his conversation with Robin. Fed up with Noah's behavior, the first mate walked over and pulled him out of the cell leaving Robin to stare after his friend.

"Ungrateful, bas…" the first mate muttered as he pulled his captive on to the deck towards the throne of the captain.

"Ahh, thank you Jenks," the captain said to his first mate with a nod. "You may leave the prisoner here and go about your business, I think I can handle one little merchant sailor all by myself." Jenks nodded and then walked away leaving Noah to face the captain. Sighing, the captain raised himself from his throne and approached Noah who stood stalk still where Jenks had left him.

"We have not been properly introduced young Mister Turner," the captain drawled. "I know who you are, but you don't know who I am and frankly that is a shame seeing as your parents knew my father so well. Grinning wolfishly he extended his hand and shook the one Noah had warily offered forward.

"I am Alex "Bloody" Beckett, captain of _The__ Black __Pearl_."

* * *

It had taken a week to arrive at Tortuga, but Elizabeth had spent nearly another one looking for a crew. Damn she thought to herself. No one was willing to go after the Black Pearl; damn. Lost in thought she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking until she ran into someone. She landed on the ground with a thud, breaking her concentration. Cursing herself for not paying more attention to surrounding, she grabbed the proffered hand of the man she had run into and allowed him to hoist her up off the ground.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized as she began to dust herself off.

"No problem love," replied the man she had hit. Something in the back of Elizabeth's mind began to stir. That voice sounded familiar in some way, but it was difficult to place.

"You sure you're alright?" he asked. It clicked. She remembered where she had heard that voice before. How could she forget it?

"Jack Sparrow! It's been a while since I saw you last." Looking up she smiled only to have her smile falter when she saw a Jack Sparrow that hadn't seemed to have aged since the last time she had seen him.

* * *

"Beckett? Your last name is Beckett?" questioned Noah.

"Of course it is you fool. Why would I lie about my own last name? Especially if I went to the trouble of telling it to you," Beckett responded angrily.

Noah had heard all of his mother's tales about the infamous Lord Beckett of the East Indian Trading Company that had held her and his father hostage, had killed his grandfather, and had battled all of the pirates of the world. His mother loathed the man and was pleased that he had died; such a man did not deserve to exist. She had never told him that he had had a son though.

"My mother never said anything about your father having a son and she knew that man like the back of her hand," Noah replied.

"How could she tell you about a son of Beckett she didn't know existed? How would she or anyone for that matter know about a bastard son he had? Though I was an illegitimate, he treated me kindly, like a real son even if I was a mistake. Your parents had no right to kill him. They will pay for what they did."

"So you turned to piracy to do it. Wasn't that what your father fought against, pirates and their loathsome ways? Seems like an awfully great way to repay the kindness you claim he showed towards you."

Both men fell silent, staring angrily at the other, waiting for the other to turn away from their unannounced staring match. Alex turned away first when Jenks came running up to report that they were beginning to become low on some supplies.

"I suppose we are heading off to Tortuga then," sighed Alex as he walked back to his throne. "Take the prisoner back to the brig."


	2. Escape and Tortuga

A/N: Yay! Here is chapter 2. I'm really pleased that I received a review on my first story and a fave. Thank you reviewer/faver. This chapter is a little shorter than the last, but I was hard pressed for time this week. I'm going to be ambitious and attempt to update every other week. With my schedule I don't know how that will work out but I will try. Enjoy and please review. :)

PS. The lines differentiate between who the story is focusing on instead of saying meanwhile or just leaving it without. Plus it is easier to edit if I have to.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. ALL RIGHTS GO TO RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

* * *

"What the…" cried Elizabeth, her eyes wide. "Jack…."

"I know," he replied shrugging off her questioning look. That map I had dear William steal had more than one destination that could be located by using said map. The Spring of Eternal Youth is just one of those places, and along with my trusty compass," he held it up proudly, "I had no problem finding it in the least."

"Then, what about Barbosa and the rest of your crew and _The Black Pearl_, where were…where are they?" questioned Elizabeth.

"Abandoned me again, but I had the map. Last I heard they were sailing around somewhere in the Pacific."

"Damn." She stormed off leaving Jack to watch her back disappear into the mayhem that was Tortuga.

* * *

The Captain of the Flying Dutchman stood at the helm slowly piloting his ship towards its intended target—the wreckage of a ship. If there was one part of the job he dislike this was it; having to collect there destroyed souls. This, along with learning of his son's kidnapping, was wearing on his nerves. He was constantly worried that the next group of souls he would be ferrying would have his son with them. His father, now first mate, studied Will's face before taking the wheel of the ship from him. "Bootstrap" Bill Turner could see that until his grandson was found it was going to be a tough time for Will, not to mention himself.

* * *

Jack found Elizabeth nursing a mug of rum in the bar where over two decades ago she had knocked out James Norrington in a bar fight while in pursuit of Jack.

"You love, you're going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow? Jack said casually as he slipped onto the stool next to her. She ignored him and continued to drink. Once that was gone she ordered a second.  
"What's wrong? You hate rum." Elizabeth turned to him and with a small hiccup replied. Her words slurred together slightly, but were clear enough that Jack could hear her say:

"You want to know what is wrong? The crew of the Black Pearl has kidnapped my son, and I can't go rescue him without a ship and my own crew. But no one will willingly go after the Black Pearl. That's what's wrong." She took another swig of rum before promptly vomiting the contents of her stomach onto the floor.

"You're a mess Elizabeth. An absolute mess," Jack said shaking his head. Heaving her up so that she was standing, he began to help her walk out of the bar towards a nearby inn.

* * *

Noah leaned against the wall of the cell slowly digesting the information he had learned. It was hard to imagine Beckett having a son. The rest of his shipmates from _The Porthos _were sleeping as he sat there contemplating what their fates might be. Suddenly loud cries reached Noah's ears.

"Tortuga! Tortuga!" the crew chanted. They had reached their destination.

* * *

Elizabeth woke the next morning with a groan. She had a massive headache and her vision wasn't very clear. Where was she any way she wondered. She remembered running into Jack and then being at a bar with him, but after that it was hazy. Gingerly she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her bundle of clothes she had brought from home sat at the end of the bed and bath water lay waiting in the corner, beckoning her to clean herself of the smell of rum. I hate rum she thought. It is the worst drink imaginable. A bath was the first thing she was going to do today she decided, then she'd go look for Jack and possibly a crew and ship.

* * *

_The Black Pearl _sailed into the harbor of Tortuga early in the morning. Not too many people were out this early in the morning, sure the nightlife was great and the mid-day markets were lively, but early mornings were quiet and the streets lay deserted. Alex was calling orders to his men as they prepared to make port. One of the last orders he gave was to take down the black sails and replace them with the spare white ones they stored below.

"Captain." Alex turned as Jenks called out to him. "We don't have enough men to completely change all the sails with the hour. We need maybe four more men."

"Well then use the men in the brig, just don't let them escape. I'll help with the mizzen sail," responded Alex. How irritating, we'll have to pick up a few new men for the crew he thought to himself. Jenks headed down to the brig where he hauled Noah, Robin, and a gunner form _The Porthos_ named Robert.

"You'll be helping replace the sails," Jenks informed them. "Don't try any funny business or you'll find yourself in Davy Jones' Locker faster than you can say Calypso." Noah snickered at the mention of the ex-Dutchman. Nobody seemed to have gotten the message that Jones as no longer alive. Well not that he had been alive to begin with…alive in the sense of any sea creature without a heart that could move could be. Then again, Will Turner's Locker didn't sound any where near as frightening. Robin elbowed him, his eyes asking why Noah had been laughing. Noah shrugged off the unvoiced question and continued to follow Jenks.

Jenks set them up in the area he needed them and then left the three men under the watchful eyes of the rest of the crew. As everyone waited for the order to hoist the sails, Robin leaned over and began whispering to Noah a plan he had devised.

"When the call comes to hoist the sails the crew will be busy grabbing the ropes and pulling. During the confusion we'll jump over the side and swim to land."

"We can't leave the rest of the men," Noah argued.

"But no one will get rescued if we can't tell people that some of us are still alive in the first place," Robin whispered back.

"Don't underestimate pirates Robin. They're more organized than you think."

"I don't see you coming up with any great ideas," Robin huffed.

"Tell you what," Noah said slowly, the plan he had becoming clear. "I'll run one way, you and Robert run the other way. I'll run towards the starboard side, that's is farther away and they'll be more focused on me. That way you and Robert can get off the ship and get help." Inwardly, Noah knew that Beckett did not care what happened to the other prisoners, only that he had Noah.

"But how are you…you don't intend to escape do you? You're going to stay on board with the rest of the men."

"Yah, I am." Noah averted his gaze from his friend's. "Find my mother, Elizabeth, you've met her a few times before. She'll be able to get help. Plus she must be worrying her head off since I didn't return home to see dad."

"Noah…" Whatever Robin was about to say was cut short as the command came to hoist the sails. Noah looked at Robin and then nodded good-bye as he took off running towards the starboard bow. Robin grabbed Robert and sprinted as fast as he could to the opposite side, together they jumped into the cold, frigid water below and began swimming as hard as they could. Shots rang out as the pirates fired their pistols at the escapees but they were already on the pier and running out of range.

"Forget them," shouted Alex. "We have the important one." Noah lay at his feet, a deep cut on his right arm and a growing bump where he had been knocked out by the hilt of Alex's sword. "Take him back to the brig!"

* * *

That's the end of this chapter. Stay tuned for the next and please review or you might find yourself in Will Turner's Locker. ;)


	3. A Ship and a Crew

A/N: Hey everybody! It's a bird. It's a plane. No! It's an update. I apologize. I'm a horrible updater. But this story will eventually be finished, not sitting collecting dust. I will try and update soon but no promises. ENJOY!!

* * *

Elizabeth was sitting in the tavern beneath her room when Jack walked in smiling widely. "I've got us a ship," he said smugly, sliding into the seat next to her. Water barely missed Jack as Elizabeth spit out her drink out in surprise. Raising his hand, Jack beckoned over a barmaid and ordered a mug of rum acting as if water had nearly been spit into his face.

"What! I've been here for nearly a week and couldn't get a ship. You just waltz in and suddenly a ship is available."

"I'm Captain Jack Sp…"

"Don't complete that sentence," Elizabeth said glaring at him. Jack shrugged, smirking as he leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head.

"And in case you're wondering, I got the ship…" Jack began only to be interrupted be Elizabeth.

"I DON'T want to know," she huffed. I'm not going to ask she told herself. I'm not going to give him the pleasure of knowing I'm curious or interested. She glared at her porridge before sighing in defeat.

"How did you get the ship?

* * *

Noah awoke with a groan, his vision dancing around. He slowly sat up, holding his head with one hand. His surroundings were new to him; he was still in the brig, but the other prisoners weren't with him. It was much darker where he was, distant lantern light barely reaching the bars that served as a door.

"Noah. Noah! Damn it Noah, wake up!" a raspy voice yelled.

"Are you alive?" a younger voice called out. Noah groaned in reply.

"Yes Ash," he answered his voice thick with sleep.

"Told you he was alive. I just knew it. He wouldn't die on us. See," Ash said. "I told them you were alive, but the guys wouldn't believe me. Them that carried down your body were none too gentle. Dragged you like a sack full of potatoes. The others said you'd be dead, but why else would those pirates bring you back to the brig. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Ash," Noah replied, fighting to stay conscious. Ash, a young midshipman—only 15—was a sweet boy, if not a little stubborn at times, just learning the ropes of sailing. Noah considered him to be a little brother, but had forgotten the boy had been captured. In all of the confusion when the pirates attacked _The Porthos _Noah had lost the young boy. At least he was alive.

Noah moved his other hand, the one not hold his head up, to help himself stand. Pulling himself up, he winced. The gash on his right arm was beginning to bleed again, leaving scarlet trails on his dirty flesh. Using the bars to support his weight, he attempted to take a step forward only to halt when the clanking of a chain met his ear. Looking down he noticed what had made the noise. Attached to a shackle on his left ankle was a chain bolted into the middle of the floor. Beckett wasn't talking any chances about possibly letting him escape. Noah had figured that after today there wouldn't be many more chances. He and what was left of the crew was just going to have to wait to be rescued. Hopefully Robin and Robert got help Noah thought as he faded into unconsciousness.

* * *

Elizabeth stood on the bow of _The Queen Majesty_, looking up into the rigging as sailors scurried across the ropes. "You there, sailor. Don't just stand there watching. Get to work unfurling those sails," berated a voice behind her. "Hop to it man!" Elizabeth turned around to see the second mate stalking towards her. He was in "command" for now; Jack was off supervising the loading of supplies, though he really only cared for the rum. He would forget everything else if Elizabeth didn't keep reminding him that they needed food and water. As first mate, Elizabeth would have usually been the one calling out orders, but it didn't seem necessary at the moment. Everyone was doing their job and adequately at that. She had never been formally introduced to the second mate so it was understandable for him to mistake her for just one of the crew. Considering she wore male clothing, concealed her figured, and had pulled her hair up under a plain, leather hat, it was forgivable for someone to think she was a man. That was the point. Sailors were a superstitious bunch to no end and a woman on board would have caused have the crew to jump ship.

"Come on sailor, get to work," yelled the second mate. What was his name again? Elizabeth wondered. Jack told me, I know he did. Andy…Andrew…Andre.

"That's it! Your name is Andre!" Elizabeth cried triumphantly. Andre looked at her confusedly. Remembering her manners she quickly extended her hank. "I'm afraid we have not been properly introduced. I'm the first mate James Turner." Smiling wanly she shook the hand he offered. Rough and calloused from the hard life of a sailor, it engulfed her own. She looked him over, assessing his worth to her. He was broad shouldered, and towered over everyone by at least a head. All muscle, she had heard earlier that he had moved one of the port side guns by himself so as to inspect it better. Those cannons were some of the heaviest, usually taking two men at least to move them an inch. His voice was low and easily boomed up to the crow's nest. All in all, a pretty good second mate Elizabeth thought to herself.

"My apologies. I had no idea that you were the first mate," Andre replied quickly.

"There is nothing to worry about. Perfectly understandable," she said, shrugging it off. It was then that Jack strode up the gangplank onto the deck.

"Quit wasting time talking and go into town. See if you can pick up a few last minute crewmembers. Seems to be that some men jumped ship already," Jack called to them. Looking at him in surprise, they quickly hurried off the ship and into the heart of Tortuga.

* * *

_The Black Pearl _was sailing out of Tortuga within a couple of hours having picked up the necessary supplies. Noah could feel the ship roll in the water as it sailed into ocean. He leaned against the bars of the door, the side of his face pressed against the cool metal in an attempt to rid himself of his headache. The bleeding from his wound had stopped and he had made a make shift bandage from part of his shirt. His body ached and the cold underbelly of the ship soothed his pains. It was difficult to stay focused on one thought for too long, as they tended to enter and leave his mind at that drop of a hat. Escape was impossible, or at least appeared to be. And the chance of a rescue seemed slim, but was their only hope left. It was unlikely Noah would be let out of his cell anytime soon, or any where near fellow crew mates in case they began to plot something. Life wasn't going that well. At least Robin and Robert had escaped he told himself. He was drifting into unconsciousness when the stomping of boots approached his cell. Ignoring the person standing at his cell door, Noah continued to lean against the door, refusing to budge. The man behind him grew impatient, and pushed the door with force, knocking Noah to the side. Beckett stalked into the cell and grabbing Noah by the collar, hauled him to his feet.

"Brilliant escape you orchestrated earlier. Absolutely astonishing," he seethed, his face red with anger. "I'd kill you now if you weren't more useful to me alive then dead. Try a stunt like that again though and I won't hesitate to lop your head right off your shoulders."

Beckett dropped Noah and stormed out, slamming the door shut. "Don't expect any food for the next couple of days." He stomped out of the brig leaving Noah to lie where he had fallen. That's going to leave a mark he thought before drifting off into a black abyss of nothing.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE: I'm so sorry I'm such a bad updater. School is evil I tell you. I have part of the next chapter but only God knows when that will get typed. I'm lucky this one got typed. Please continue to read the story as I update it would be much appreciated. PLEASE REVIEW!! It helps me become a better writer if I get advise and know whether I'm doing a good job or not.


	4. Battle at Sea

IT'S AN UPDATE! OMG! I am possibly the worst updater in the world. Oh well. To make up for it I made it a little longer than normal. I hope those who read it like it. And if you comment I would appreciate it. So enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Andre and "James" sat in the tavern behind a small table waiting for someone…anyone to approach them. Andre had offered to buy "James" a mug of rum but she had declined. She wasn't going to touch that drink again if she could help it. Occasionally one of them would make a comment, but otherwise they said little to one another. Finally a lone man came up to the table. Andre began to talk with the boy, who looked to be the same age as Noah. Elizabeth wasn't really paying attention too much to him though as she was lost in her own thoughts. Finally the question was popped, "What's your name boy?"

"Robin Randolf," came the answer. James's head snapped up in surprise.  
"Weren't you a mate on the merchant ship _The __Porthos_?" asked James. Robin looked at her in surprise.

"Why yes. Yes I was," he responded.

"Andre could you hold down the fort for a few minutes? Thanks!" Elizabeth said as she grabbed Robin's arm and towed him to a more secluded area.

"Do you know a man named Noah? He sailed on _The__ Porthos_. I had heard that the ship had been captured by pirates. Is it not true?" Avoiding her gaze, Robin mumbled his response.

"Yes, I know Noah. And it's true. _The __Porthos _was taken by pirates. I managed to escape while the ship was docked here; where ever here is."

"Tortuga."

"What?"

"Tortuga, that's where we are. Forget about it. Did Noah escape too? Where is he?" questioned Elizabeth.

"Noah is still on the ship, he helped me and another crew mate escape so we could get help. He opted to stay with the others. I have no idea where the ship is now. It sailed out of port only a few hours after it docked." There was a short pause and then Robin asked a question about something that had been bugging him since this conversation had begun: "How do you know Noah? Why do you care about him so much?"

"I'm his mother."

* * *

Noah's crew mates were starting to worry. It was pretty evident that Noah was getting very sick, most likely from an infection in the gash. He often tossed and turned when he slept, the chain attached to his ankle clanking loudly in his restless slumber. Sometimes he called out to invisible people: mother, father, Bootstrap, and on occasion Robin's name would pass his lips. Ash was particularly worried and desperately hoped Noah would recover soon.

_The__ Queen __Majesty _was soon sailing out of Tortuga. "James" stood on the bow, breathing in the salty air and allowing the sea's spray to splash up onto her. Jack stood not too far off, waiting for her to come down. Finally she turned and jumped down, strolling over to Jack.

"You revealed you're a woman to that Robin boy." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, I did," she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"And how do you know he won't go running 'bout telling people?"

"Because he cares about Noah."

_"__I__'__m __his__ mother.__" __She __pulled __her __hat__ off, __letting __her__ hair __tumble__ from__ beneath __it._

_ "Elizabeth?"_

_ "Yes, yes that's me."_

_ "Oh thank God I found you. Noah said I needed to find his mother, that you'd know what to do to rescue him and the rest of the crew."_

_ "He has a lot of faith in my abilities. I mustn't fail then hmmm…" she said to herself. "Come, we'll get Andre and head back to the ship." She started to walk back to where she had left Andre when she stopped dead in her tracks. Turning she glared at him. _

"_If__ you __tell __anyone __that __I__'__m __a __woman, __anyone__ at __all,__ you __are __going __to __wish __you __were __at __the __bottom __of __Davy__ Jones__'__s __locker.__" __Will__ Turner__'__s __Locker __she __mentally __corrected __herself. __Elizabeth__ quickly __pinned__ her __hair __back __up __and __jammed__ her __hat __back __on __her __head. __The __two __then __grabbed __Andre __and __a __few __more __new__ recruits __and__ headed __back__ to __the __ship __which __sailed__ out __an __hour __or__ so__ later._ It was there that she was now talking to Jack.

"That still doesn't mean he can be trusted," Jack said.

"How can you trust me? I've killed you once already," she said with a smile before sliding past him and sauntering over to the helm where Andre stood piloting the ship through the open water. Jack stared after her. She is still as dangerous as ever he thought.

* * *

Noah's fever had finally broken after four days. He was coherent and awake, but very, very weak. When he was awake he leaned against the cell door and talked to Ash. Ash was deeply scared of the pirates and what the other mates were saying wasn't helping his nerves. Currently Ash was chattering on about some funny accident that had happened when he was seven or so. Noah only half listened as he munched on some bread and jerky he had been given. It's probably drugged he thought.

"Jenks!" Beckett called from where he currently resided, an overly stuffed chair in his cabin.

"Cap.." Jenks was cut mid-sentence as he whacked his head on the door frame. "…tain?" he finished with a glare at the door. Whoever built his one door shorter than the rest was a fool he thought angrily. Beckett interrupted Jenk's murderous thoughts as to what he would do to the ship builder if he ever laid hands on him.

"How is our dear guest doing?" Beckett questioned.

"Wonderfully sir. Just like you ordered. He's as weak as a baby."

"Good. We can't risk the possibility of his escape. Dismissed." Jenks left, stooping as he crossed the threshold of the door.

* * *

"Ship!" yelled the look out in the crow's nest. "Ship off the starboard side!" "James" rushed to the side, looking out towards the horizon. There, clear as day, was a ship with black sails.

"_The__ Pearl_," murmured Jack as he came up to stand besides her. "Still as beautiful as ever." He sighed. "Let's try not to put too many holes in her."

"ALL HANDS ON DECK!" he yelled. The crew went scurrying in all directions, readying the ship for battle.

* * *

Beckett stood at the helm of the ship, watching his prey in the distance. He hadn't quite caught the name of the ship, only the first few letters: The Qu… It appeared to have seen them; he could see the crew on board running about. A nice prize he thought.

"Prepare to take that ship," he said calmly to first mate.

Nodding Jenks yelled out to the crew. "ALL HANDS ON DECK!"

* * *

The Queen Majesty was soon upon the Black Pearl. At the command of Jack, the guns had begun firing as soon as the two ships were a reasonable distance apart. Now the two galleons were only a few feet from one another. Pirates swung across to their opponent's ship, swords waving and guns firing. "James" was one of the first across, leading the charge. Almost as soon as her feet had touched onto the Pearl's deck she was being engaged in battle. The large brim of her opponent's hat hid their face, and a feather extended from the band. Swords clashed all around, the screech of metal on metal combined with the occasional boom from a pistol. Her opponent was skilled and it was becoming increasingly difficult to find any openings. It was then that the fight beside her saw a victor. With a triumphant cry, the pirate wearing a worn leather, bashed one of her shipmates in the head. The man stumbled and fell sideways, taking "James" with him. Her hat flew off as she landed with a thud upon the deck. Her palms stung where she had used them to break her fall, but despite the pain she scrabbled at the deck, attempting to pull herself from under the man. "James" froze as she felt the tip of a sword press against the side of her neck. Slowly she raised her head to look at her opponent. The sun blazed in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to adjust them. Currently her opponent's face was lost to her in the glare of the sun. The hair that fell around her ears and into her eyes went unnoticed, as "James" stared in shock at her opponent—a woman.

The woman had a surprised look on her face, but her sword remained pressed to "James's" throat. "Elizabeth?" the woman asked. "James" stared up in surprise; she had never met this woman before in her life. "Is that really you?" The pirate in the leather hat came over and looked down at "James", the pirate was also a woman surprisingly.

"Elizabeth?" the pirate questioned.

"What?" Elizabeth finally snapped. This person evidently knew who she was, what was the point of hiding her identity she thought.

"It's me, Barbosa."

* * *

Hopefully I'll update with the next chapter soon, but I have no idea when that will be since I'm always super busy. Please comment if you want.


	5. Females and Curses

Wow, I suck. I never update. What's it been like? A year, maybe more.

Well I'd like to thank Lupin and Tonks Forever. Was going through my old email account that is hooked up and came across your review, and was reminded that I promised myself when I started this that I would see it through. And so I shall. This is the 5th chapter, and I recently updated the 1st chapter. My style has changed a bit since I wrote that first chapter 2 years ago. Thank you. This chapter is dedicated to you.

Quick note, despite what gender Barbossa and his crew are, I am going to be referring to them using he and him since that's how Jack and Elizabeth would refer to them.

All rights go to their respective owners. I do no own Pirates of the Caribbean.

* * *

"Barbossa!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "Impossible. Last time I saw him he was clearly a HE, not a she."

"Really, it's me.

Elizabeth watched suspiciously as the woman claiming to be Barbossa approached her, hand offered out. Sighing, Elizabeth grabbed the proffered hand and hauled herself onto her feet.

"How do I know it's really you? I'm not saying I believe your story, but if I were…"

The woman placed her hands on her hips and replied huffily, "My crew and I kidnapped you at Port Royal because we believed you were a Turner, well technically you are on now. You tried to "parley" with us, but as you well know the pirate code is more like guidelines." Elizabeth stared in disbelief.

"It is you," she whispered. At that moment one of the pirates crawled past on hands and knees crying out about having lost an eye, snapping Elizabeth out of her shock. A sudden thought struck her as she glanced upwards into the black sails.

"Where is my son?" she yelled angrily.

"Your son? You have a son?"

"Of course. You kidnapped him."

"Impossible. We haven't captured a ship in ages, let alone taken anybody prisoner."

"That can't be. Noah was taken by a ship with black sails. That could only be the _Black Pearl._"

"You saw the _Pearl_. Where was she?" Barbossa questioned wide-eyed.

"I wasn't there. Someone escaped and told me. And what do you mean where she is? We're standing on her!" Elizabeth yelled, her voice carrying over the ship. By now most of the men had stopped fighting, watching the women argue.

"Actually, we're not on the _Black Pearl_," replied Barbossa sheepishly.

"WHAT!"

"Elizabeth, calm down."

"I will not "calm down"! What do you mean we're not on the _Pearl_?"

"Exactly that." Barbossa grabbed Elizabeth's arm and dragged her past all of the men to the side of the ship. "See?" she asked pointing at the name painted on the bow. Peering over the edge, she stumbled back at the sight.

"_The Interceptor_," Elizabeth choked out.

"_The Interceptor II_," responded Barbossa, grabbing her arm to hold her swaying form from toppling over.

* * *

"Get in there," said the pirate as she shoved Ash ahead of him. Ash stumbled into the cell in front of him, tripping over the door frame, and sprawling onto the floor at Noah's feet. Noah's eyes fluttered open at the sound of human flesh meeting wood. Ash scrambled away from the pirate to crouch next to his friend. The pirate laughed.

"Lotta good expecting him to protect you. He's weaker than a kitten." Noah growled, glaring at the man standing just outside of the cell. The pirate shook his head and continued to laugh, slamming the metal door shut. Noah's growl was cut short as he broke into a hacking cough. Doubling over, he coughed into his hand, his back heaving with the effort to breathe. Ash grabbed his shoulder, his eyes wide in surprise. Noah winced as Ash's hand pressed against the gash. He groaned in pain.

"Noah?"

"I'll be fine," Noah said gently as he moved Ash's hand off the cut. Ash looked at it in surprise.

"Wound 's infected," Ash murmured. Crusty, dried blood encircled it and the surrounding skin was an angry red.

"That's why you should keep your blade clean. Rusty blades will do this sorta thing," Noah pointed out, trying to keep Ash distracted. Ash nodded and finally sat down next to Noah, leaning against the wall.

"They captured another ship," whispered Ash. "But they didn't bring any new prisoners down."

"Hmmm," Noah hummed, his head falling onto Ash's shoulder as he passed out.

* * *

Barbossa, Jack, and Elizabeth sat around a table in _The Interceptor II_'s captain quarters staring at a picture of a statue: a scantily clad, golden maiden carrying a jug of some liquid that was pouring into a puddle around her feet, which served as the base for it.

"So this is why you're all women?" asked Elizabeth, pulling the picture closer to her.

"Unfortunately," replied Barbossa.

"And you've got to return it to the shrine you stole it from in order to reverse the curse?" said Jack, smirking at the pirate's misfortune.

"Yes."

"And _THAT _statue is on _The Black Pearl_, which you managed to get stolen from you when you stopped for supplies in Tortuga?" Elizabeth questioned.

"That's the gist of it."

"Hell, Barbossa!" exclaimed Elizabeth, jumping from her seat and throwing her hands into the air.

"What kind of pirate steals a ship out of port, especially in Tortuga?" Jack asked, staring pointedly at Barbossa. He looked sheepish, and offered an apologetic shrug in response.

"What am I going to do?" sighed Elizabeth, pacing the cabin. Jack and Barbossa watched her walk back and forth. Suddenly Ragetti, a pirate with a short pixy cut and a wooden eye came sprinting in.

"_The Dutchman_!" Ragetti cried.

"Will," murmured Elizabeth. Without a word to her two cohorts she took off, running out the door. The sound of shoes on stairs echoed in the cabin. Jack watched her go, fingering the front of his loose, white shirt.

* * *

Elizabeth jumped into Will's arms, kissing him happily. Going back to sea is worth this she thought. Breaking away, she smiled up at him.

"Any news of Noah?" she asked quietly. Will diverted his eyes before sighing and finally answering.

"A couple nights ago _The Dutchman_ came across a ship. Can't really call it that since there was barely enough to keep the meager number of crew men left on board afloat. Most of the men were already gone when I got there, but one man, the captain, kept muttering the name "Bloody Beckett."

"Never heard of him," said Elizabeth. "But what has this go to do with Noah?"

"I'm getting there. Well, the captain kept mumbling about a ship with black sail, which can only be The Black Pearl. Now, I've never heard of a captain by the name of Beckett, but whoever he is...He tore that ship to pieces."

"Bloody Beckett...He must have Noah," she said softly. "I don't know how we're going to find it though."

"We'll think of a way," said Jack, stepping up next to Elizabeth. "Good to see you Will."

"Jack." Looking over Jack's shoulder, his brow furrowed in confusion, Will asked, "When did you get an all-female crew?"

"I may look female, but I refused to be called as such," Barbossa cried angrily.

"Barbossa?"

"Nailed it Turner. Congratulations." Stifling a laugh, Will turned to his wife and pulled her into an embrace.

"We'll find him," he whispered. "We just have to keep looking."

* * *

Ash laid nest to Noah, watching his chest rise and fall. The infection had been progressively getting worse. A few days ago when Noah had been lucid enough, Ash had cleaned the wound as best he could, Noah gritting his teeth in pain the entire time. What little knowledge the young boy had gained from assisting the ship's doctor, Ash new the older man's body was fighting off the infection. Silently he prayed that he fever would break, and Noah would get better soon.

* * *

Elizabeth leaned against the ship's railing watching The Dutchman sail into the horizon. Will and his crew needed to return to ferrying the souls of the dead, but he promised to be on the lookout for Noah, and any information concerning Bloody Beckett. Though she fought to school her face, Jack could still see the wistful expression creeping across her face—the wish that she follow her husband. Settling next to her, with his back against the rail, Jack looked up into the sails.

"Seeing him once a decade is killing you." Elizabeth shrugged, continuing to watch until a green light flashed in the distance.

"Maybe it is Jack," she said quietly. He thoughtfully fingered the front of his shirt, fiddling with the collar.

"I might be able to help you there."

"If you're going to try and convince me that you would make a better catch, I swear I'll feed you to the Kraken again."

"Kraken 's dead. Better think of something else." Elizabeth turned at glared.

"Don't push me." Holding up his hands in surrender, Jack stepped back from the banister.

"It's just I have something that would allow you to have plenty more meetings with your beloved Will." Elizabeth spun around to face Jack.

"How?" she cried. Reaching into his shirt he pulled out a leather drawstring pouch that was hanging around his neck. Slipping his fingers into the bag he produced a vial of sparkling, clear liquid.

"Water from the Fountain of Eternal Youth and Immortality," he proclaimed with a flourish. Elizabeth reached for the vial, but stopped and let her hand drop.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch, promise." She reached to take it, but instead of grabbing the vial, she pushed Jack's hand back.

"After we find Noah. I'll talk to Will about it."

"Fair enough. I'll keep it safe 'til then."

* * *

A/N: End of Chapter 5. Usual length. Wish it was longer, but I wanted to post this. Please review. I always appreciate it. Thank you those who read, fave, and review.


	6. Confrontation At Last

And here is Chapter Six. Another update in less than a week's time, it's a bloomin' miracle. I must say I am very motivated to finish this story. It does help that I have a lot more free time than I had when I started this story. So here is the next installment.

I own nothing, all rights go to their respective owners especially Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer.

* * *

_The Queen Majesty_ and _The Interceptor II_ sailed for days without any sightings of _The Black Pearl_. Occasionally The Dutchman would meet up with them, but there was never any news. Finally on the tenth day, Andre, who had taken first watch in the crow's nest, spotted a ship in the distance—a ship which appeared to have black sails.

"It's got be Beckett and _The Pearl_," cried Robin. Having been the only one to have actually seen Beckett, Elizabeth had allowed him into the inner circle of Jack, Barbossa, Will, and herself.

"It may not be," Jack said. "This wouldn't be the first time a ship used black sails to scare other ships off."

"If Will was here he could have sailed ahead," said Elizabeth thoughtfully.

"But he's not," complained Barbossa.

"He does have a job to do," pointed out Elizabeth.

"Who else would ferry the souls of the dead?" stated Robin. Elizabeth smiled at Robin; he had been so shocked to learn Noah's father was "Davy Jones."

_Will stood next to Jack and Barbossa gazing at a map spread across the captain's desk. Bootstrap stood off to the corner paging through an atlas._

"_The ocean is too large to find one small ship. We're going off pure luck," cried Will, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Bloody Beckett could be anywhere. We don't even know what he looks like."_

"_We have somebody who does though," proclaimed Elizabeth as she pulled Robin into the room she had just entered._

"_He's just a boy," said Will._

"_He's the same age as Noah," she argued. They continued to bicker until finally with a shout Robin pushed them apart._

"_Stop arguing like I'm not here. Noah's my best friend. He sacrificed himself for me. I need…I want to return the favor." Will and Elizabeth stared in shock at Robin. Laughter brought them back to reality and all three of them turned to look at the source—Jack. _

"_He just pushed Davy Jones. Davy Jones!" Jack laughed. Barbossa smiled, chuckling as well._

"_You two are still the couple I married. Bickering away." Elizabeth and Will looked at each other, grinning, before Will grabbed her and pulled her into a crushing kiss._

"_That's Noah's father?" Robin asked Jack._

"_Yeah, but…" Jack continued to guffaw. "He's…He's Davy Jones. You PUSHED Davy Jones."_

"_What! He can't be…"_

"_But I am," Will replied. "Well, technically I'm the captain of The Flying Dutchman, Davy Jones was the name of my predecessor."_

"_I am so sorry. Please don't kill me!" Robin cried, falling prostrate upon the floor at Will's feet._

"_I'm not going to kill you. I only ferry the souls of the dead. Those," he said with a waving of his hand, "that are already dead."_

"_Clearly not you," Elizabeth assured. _

"_I think I might pass out," Robin said as he began to sway back and forth. Will gripped his shoulder, keeping Robin from falling as he fainted._

"Well, we'll know when we catch her," Barbossa said. Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully.

"I'll take next watch in the crow's nest," she said as she exited the cabin.

* * *

Beckett was lounging in his chair when Jenks came in bearing the news that two ships had been sighted, on which had black sails.

"It's probably that fool Barbossa," Beckett said flippantly.

"But the second ship captain…" Jenks muttered.

"I have a pretty good idea who the captain of that one is."

"Captain?"

"Prepare the prisoners. We'll be releasing them soon."

"Sir?"

"It is not your place to question my commands. Get the prisoners ready, and bring me the doctor for _The Porthos_." Jenks hurried out to do as Beckett ordered, leaving the young man to his own devices. Standing, he walked over to his desk and picked up a brown mop of yarn.

"Oh, Elizabeth, I know that's your ship. Just come and try to take you little boy back."

* * *

It had been several hours, but they had gained on the other ship; enough so that through her telescope, Elizabeth could make out the name on the side.

"It's _The Black Pearl_," she yelled down to Jack and Barbossa who stood at the helm.

"Ready the guns!" shouted Barbossa; Andre ordering the equivalent on _The Queen Majesty_. Both ships became a flurry of activity as the crews prepared for battle. The ships were pulling ever closer, steadily making up the distance on their enemy.

"We're catching up," Robin said excitedly, dashing up onto the helm.

"Too easy…" Jack murmured quietly, more to himself than his cohorts.

"You're right," agreed Elizabeth, jumping the last few feet off the riggings. "We're catching up to quickly. It's like they want us to."

"A double-pronged attack will probably work the best. Ought to tear the ship to pieces," Barbossa said.

"Much as I hate to damage _The Pearl, _I've got to agree," Jack said.

"All right then, we've got a plan of attack," replied Elizabeth. "All hands on deck, we've got a battle to win!"

* * *

"Prepare for battle!" yelled Jenks from the helm, relaying his captain's orders. Men ran about, grabbing swords and pistols. Standing next to Jenks, Beckett watched the organized chaos of preparation, nodding thoughtfully.

"Sir, they have two ships. Most likely a double-pronged attack," Jenks said.

"Precisely why I planned ahead."

"But the damage…"

"That's what the prisoners are for."

* * *

_The Queen Majesty _and _The Interceptor II _were silent as they sailed closer to _The Black Pearl. _Slowly they began to pull up next to _The Pearl_. Elizabeth, Jack, and Barbossa stood aboard _The Interceptor II,_ gazing across onto the deck of their enemy.

"That's Beckett," Robin whispered as he came to stand next to the threesome. Elizabeth nodded before stepping forward.

"Surrender now and we can avoid bloodshed," shouted Elizabeth across the void.

"Tough decision," Beckett replied sarcastically.

"Give me back my son Beckett!"

"I'll think about it. Hmmmm. How 'bout no?" Turning his back to _The Interceptor II_, he called out his command: "FIRE!" Two rounds of cannons went off—into _The Queen Majesty_.

"Return fire!" yelled Jack. The men aboard _The Queen Majesty_ screamed as the wood of the exploding hull became deadly shrapnel, striking down all in its path.

"Shit, he moved all of the cannons on to one side. He was expecting the double-pronged attack. He's trying to completely destroy one of the ships to minimize damage." "Continue to fire!" Barbossa roared. _The Interceptor II_ returned fire, blasting holes into the side of _The Black Pearl_, but it was too late to save their sister ship. A cannonball from the enemy ship had struck the powder keg of _The Queen Majesty, _ripping her asunder.

"No," screamed Elizabeth.

"Continue firing!" yelled Barbossa. Elizabeth glared up at Beckett, but her eyes were soon drawn to the man who had suddenly appeared next to him, a gun to his head. A black hood covered his head, but it could only be her son.

"Noah," she gasped. "Stop firing! Stop firing!" Gradually more and more men heard her, pausing in what they were doing.

"Are you daft woman? Why did you call for the halt?" Barbossa cried, grabbing her shoulder.

"My son," she whispered, pointing to where the two men stood.

"Now that I have your attention," Beckett yelled, "I would like to discuss negotiations."

"What are your conditions?" Elizabeth responded.

"Take down your sails and I'll return, not just your precious son, but the remaining prisoners from his ship." More prisoners appeared on the side of the deck, led to the edge by the pirates.

"Deal," Elizabeth replied.

"What?" Barbossa cried. "We'll be incapacitated in the water if we do that. We'll be sitting ducks."

"What's to say you won't fire on us once we do as you say," called out Jack as he approached the railing closest to Beckett.

"I promise not to fire, and as soon as you take down the sails I will immediately return to you your son."

"We have to accept it," pleaded Elizabeth with Barbossa. "I can't lose my son, please."

"Take down the sails!" yelled Barbossa. The crew stared at him, frozen in place. "You heard me, you insolent curs. Take down the sails." Men jumped into the riggings and began to climb up the masts into the sails. As fast as they could, the crew pulled in the sails, tying them down. Elizabeth stared at Beckett and her son, her eyes never leaving the pistol as the world of the ship revolved around her. Robin dropped from the riggings and rushed over to Elizabeth and Barbossa.

"It's done," he murmured.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Barbossa growled at Elizabeth.

"We've done as you asked. Now return my son and his crew mates," yelled Elizabeth to Beckett. Beckett nodded and marched his prisoner to the side of the ship with the other crew members.

"You have done as I have asked, and now I return to you that which I have stolen." And with that Beckett pushed Noah over the edge. In turn, each pirate pushed their prisoner overboard.

"NO!" screamed Elizabeth. Sprinting to the railing, she dove over the edge into the water. Robin and Jack followed directly behind her, jumping into the water. Several other crew members joined them, grabbing the prisoners and helping them to swim to _The Interceptor II_. Ragetti and Pintel, the pirate with the wooden eye and a portly pirate, grabbed rope, and tied them to the railing, then proceeded to throw them down to those in the water. Once they had a hold of the rope the other crew members began to pull them aboard. In the meantime Beckett and _The Black Pearl _quickly sailed away, a gale filling their sails and allowing them to speed away while _The Interceptor II_ lay dead in the water.

"Pull them aboard," yelled Barbosa. "Unfurl those sails." Pirates hauled themselves up into the riggings and began working on the sails as others pulled up those who were in the water. Barbossa grabbed Elizabeth's hand and pulled her up the rest of the way.

"Is everyone else already onboard?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes," said Barbossa. "The men from _The Porthos_ have been taken below." Elizabeth looked towards the doors that led to the underbelly of the ship.

"Go to him." Smiling gratefully, Elizabeth ran through the doors.

Bolting down the stairs, taking them two at a time, Elizabeth ran to the crew's quarters. Dripping wet men huddled tougher on the floor. She searched for a familiar face and finally saw the brown shaggy hair of her son. Rushing over she grabbed his soldier, spinning him around and pulling him into an embrace.

"Noah," she whispered. Putting him at arm's length she smiled happily at her son, brushing his hair out of his face. A gasp escaped her lips.

"You're not my son."

* * *

A/N: And I'll end on that note. Update shouldn't be too long in coming, but then again you never know with me. Bear with me. As always, thank you everyone who read. Hope you enjoy. Please review, constructive criticism is always appreciated.


	7. Punishment and Feminine Problems

Wow, longest chapter yet—approximately 2500 words. I'm so proud. Sorry this update took longer, but I have been at uni and finals are upon me. Not too many thankfully, but I was swamped the last couple weeks. However with the advent of the holidays I'll have more time. I've already started Chapter 8, but I don't know when that will be out. This chapter had been written for a while, but didn't get typed for a while. Sorry about that. Hopefully it was worth the wait. ENJOY!

All rights go to their respective owners. I own nothing.

* * *

Ash lay on the ground trembling, Noah's body covering his—shielding it from flying debris. He whimpered quietly.

"It's over Ash," comforted Noah, stroking Ash's sandy colored mop of hair. "The battle is over. Listen, you can't hear any more gun fire." Ash strained to hear any, and was relieved that only silence met his ears. They had been sleeping when the blasts of cannons had awoken them. A ball whizzed over their heads sending wood flying. Noah had dragged Ash onto the floor, and they hadn't moved a muscle since then. It had only been a few days ago that Noah's fever had finally broken. His skin was no longer cold and clammy to the touch and he had stopped suffering from heat flashes and chills. The infection receding though his arm remained in an incredible amount of pain associated with such a deep gash.

Pushing himself up into a sitting position, Noah began to dust the sawdust and splinters of wood from his clothes. Ash rolled over, stretching out the kinks in his muscles from lying down for such an extended period of time. The click of boots drew their attention to the door of their cell as Beckett appeared along with Jenks and another burly pirate, bald and tattooed who began to unlock the door, keys rattling in the lock.

"What do you want?" snarled Noah as Beckett entered the cell.

"I see someone's feeling better," Beckett said. Noah growled, staring at the man. "I just thought maybe you'd like to know what was going on earlier."

"Where did you take our mates?" asked Ash. Beckett ignored the question, waltzing over to crouch in front of Noah.

"Your friend, Bluebird or whatever his name was, managed to find that slut of a woman you call mother." Noah lunged at the pirate, but he danced out of the way smiling gleefully. Noah gave chase, lunging forward. Beckett drew his pistol and pointed it at Noah's forward, who came to a dead halt. Swinging the gun, Beckett whipped it across Noah's face. He collapsed to the floor, holding his jaw, opening and closing his mouth. He spat out a mixture of saliva and blood onto the ground, but thankfully no teeth. Kneeling in front, Beckett grabbed the front of Noah's shirt and pulled him up as he stood up.

""Your mother didn't stand a chance, tucked, turn and ran, like a dog with its tail between it legs," Beckett gloated, softly chuckling. His laughter was cut short as Ash leapt from behind, slamming his fist into Beckett's head, then wrapping his arms around the man's neck. Beckett dropped Noah into a heap on the floor, reaching to grab at the cabin boy. Ash held on for dear life, wrapping his legs around the older man's torso in a death grip. Unable to grab the boy, the pirate captain turned his back and rammed Ash into the wooden wall of the cell. Ash dropped, the wind knocked out of him. Panting hard, tears in his eyes, he attempted to catch his breath. Beckett stalked over to the pirate next to Jenks and pulled a whip from his belt. Turning around, he faced the boy and slowly walked towards him, whip unfurled. Ash scrambled backwards, cowering away from the device.

Suddenly Beckett was knocked off his feet as Noah tackled him. The two rolled across the floor, trading blows, elbows flying, legs kicking. Noah rolled on top and wrapped his fingers tightly around Beckett's throat. Out of nowhere, Noah was boxed in the ear, sending him reeling off Beckett, his ears ringing. Jenks grabbed his shirt front and punched him in the face before delivering a hard blow to Noah's stomach with his knee. Noah fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Jenks and the other pirate grabbed his arms and held him between them, still on his knees.

Beckett picked himself up off the ground, and dusted off his clothes in an attempt to preserve his dignity. Grabbing the whip from where it had fallen on the floor during the scuffle, he stalked over to stand in front of the kneeling prisoner.

"You'll pay for that," Beckett glowered, turning from his captive to Ash. "You horrible, interfering brat." He raised the whip to strike the quietly whimpering boy.

"NO!" cried Noah. Beckett let the whip fall to his side, and looked over to Noah. "Don't touch him," he pleaded, dropping his head to look at the ground. "Please. I'm begging you."

"And if I agreed? What's in it for me?"

"But I have nothing."

"Well, guess the boy's getting a whippin'," Beckett said as he raised the whip once more. Ash curled into a ball, trying to make himself invisible.

"Wait!" cried Noah, his head snapping up. "I'll take the punishment."

"In addition to your own?"

"Yes! Yes! Please just don't hurt him," he pleaded, dipping his head and body in a make shift bow of subservience. Beckett tapped the whip thoughtfully against his thigh before replying: "Deal."

"Jenks, lead Mr. Turner up onto deck. You know the spot. And Barell," he said, motioning to the other pirate, "you bring the boy." With that he turned and left the cells, the other two quickly following behind, prisoners in tow.

* * *

"You're not my son," Elizabeth gasped.

"Mam?" the man said.

"You're not Noah. He's still on the ship. Oh God." Tears streamed down her face.

"Mam?" the man said again. "You're Noah's mother?"

"Yes," she replied, wiping her face.

"Well, mam…ummm…I can tell you he's doing better."

"Doing better?"

"When we were getting hauled up onto deck I managed to get a glance into his cell. Fever seemed to have broken, and his wound was looking a lot cleaner and healthier. Ash did a good job."

"He was injured?"

"Received a nasty gash on his arm when helping Robin escape."

"He's all right?"

"He should be."

"Thank you…ummm...Mr…"

"Dr. Jonah Evans."

"Thank you." Elizabeth stood and began to walk away, a lost look on her face. As she walked onto the deck Jack intercepted her, falling into step beside her.

"Not the joyous reunion you expected?" Jack queried.

"He's not my son," she whispered, barely audible. "Noah's not on the ship. Beckett still has him." Her answer stopped him in his tracks.

"What?"

"He tricked us."

"I'm sorry Elizabeth. We'll get him."

"We should wait for Will. He said he'd meet up with us in a few days."

"But, what about catching…"

"They're too far," Elizabeth said, cutting him off. "And night is falling. We're not going to catch them."

"I'll let Barbossa know." Elizabeth nodded as she walked away from Jack to the railing, gazing out into the sunset.

"Stay alive Noah. Survive until I can get there," she whispered to the night air.

* * *

Beckett glided onto deck, his crew members hauling their prisoners up after them, leading them to the mast of the ship. Crew stopped to stare at the odd procession—Beckett with bruises around his neck, Noah with a steadily growing black eye, and Ash with tear tracks in his dirt smudged face. Arriving at the mast, Beckett snapped his fingers at Jenks who pushed Noah up against the mast and began tying his hands around it with the ropes that had bound his wrists. Sticking his fingers into his mouth, Beckett whistled sharply, effectively calling a halt to all activity on deck and in the rigging. The men began to gather as Jenks finished securing Noah and then ripped the remains of his tattered shirt off his back. Beckett pulled the whip from where he had stored it on his belt and handed it to the burly pirate holding Ash.

"He'll stay where he is if he doesn't want his dear friend to receive any more lashings than necessary," Beckett murmured loud enough for Ash to hear. Ash whimpered softly, his eyes glued to Noah's back. The pirate captain walked into the center of the semicircle that had formed around the mast and Noah.

"My dear fellows," Beckett said with a flourish, "I present tonight's entertainment: thirty lashings for our favorite, oh so noble, prisoner." Stepping hack, he waved his hand at Barell who in turn raised the whip and brought it down across Noah's back. Gritting his teeth, Noah refused to let out a scream.

"You think you're going to be able to keep quiet? Let me hear you scream," growled Barell. Noah continued to grit his teeth as his back was laid bare. Ash's eyes were glued to Noah, tears welling in them.

After the fifteenth lash Barell paused and beckoned over a pirate holding a large, wooden barrel. The pirate then proceeded to throw the contents onto Noah's back. Noah hissed as the salt water stung his raw flesh, still refusing to yell. As the whip met his back once again he screamed through his teeth as unbearable pain lanced through his body. The pirate crew laughed and jeered, making bets on when he would truly scream, some already depositing gold in others hands. Again and again and again the leather whip came down, Noah refusing to do anything more than the occasional yell through his gritted teeth. Finally Beckett held up his hand, stopping Barell who let the whip fall to his side.

Motioning to Jenks to untie Noah, Beckett turned to his crew and with a flourish and a bow, grandly proclaimed: "And that concludes our entertainment!" The crew sneered at the slumped form of Noah, who had sunk to his knees after his hands were freed, his forehead resting against the mast, breathing through clenched teeth. Ash ran to him, careful not to touch his wounded and bloody back.

"Noah?" Ash whispered. Noah turned his head and offered a small smile in reassurance, which quickly turned to a grimace as Beckett clapped him on the back as he crouched behind the boy.

"I hope saving that boy was worth the pain," he gloated, a grin plastered across his face. Noah narrowed his eyes, growling at Beckett. Shrugging, the man stood and called over to Jenks and Barell. "Take 'em back to the cell."

Jenks yanked Noah to his feet, half dragging the young man back across the deck and into the dark underbelly of _The Black Pearl_, Barell following closely with Ash. The sun began to dip behind the horizon as Beckett strolled down the steps and disappeared from sight.

* * *

Elizabeth awoke with a start, feeling something pulling at her chest; an invisible cord attached to her heart was being plucked.

"Will's coming," she murmured. She sprang from bed already dressed having fallen into bed the night before without removing any of her clothes save her boots. Smoothing out some of the wrinkles and creases of her shirt, she left her cabin and headed for Barbossa's. Passing through the galley snatched up two apples and continued to walk to his cabin. Arriving, she knocked on the door.

"Barbossa, I've got news. I'm coming in."

"NO!" came the reply. "No, don't come in."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Then I'm coming in."

"Wait, no…" Elizabeth opened the door to see a bewildered and flustered Barbossa standing next to a bed attempting to hide a slightly bloody sheet as he pulled it off.

"Were you injured?" Elizabeth asked, concern covering her face. She walked into the slightly cluttered room. The large bed in the center took up most of the floor space. In one corner sat an armoire and beside that, closer to the bed was a changing screen. Next to the door had been placed a long table that was covered in maps, scrolls, and pieces of eight along with other pieces of miscellaneous jewelry. A doorway was off to the right leading into a dark, second room. Bypassing it all, she quickly walked to Barbossa, gripping his shoulder.

"No. Well, I don't know. Woke up this morning with blood on my sheets and legs. I don't remember getting hit, but my body feels like it wants to rip itself apart…" His voice trailed off. Elizabeth tapped her foot thoughtfully, her eyes straying down to the spreading patch of red on "his" pants.

"How long have you been woman? For that matter, how long has the crew?"

"Almost a month now." A smile graced Elizabeth's face as she realized what the problem was.

"You're a woman now so you have a womb which despite your previous male status would prepare for child."

"What?"

"Monthlies. A purely feminine problem. You're going to bleed for a couple days. All women get them."

"But…but…"

"Do you have anything else to wear?"

"Ummm…ummm…" Elizabeth shook her head before walking over to the chest of drawers in the corner.

"Go get me some cloth, small pieces preferably," she ordered. Barbossa hurried into the adjoining room at her behest.

Rifling through the armoire she pulled out some breeches only to see the clothes were riddled in holes. Throwing them down, she continued looking through the drawers before slamming them shut in anger. Turning back to the interior of the room she spied a few trunks hidden underneath the table she had failed to notice before. Loping over to them, she pulled them from beneath the desk and began to dig through them. Opening the first she smiled, drawing out a burgundy cloth as well as undergarments.

"Elizabeth?" Barbossa said warily as walked into the room, strips of cloth in hand. Spinning around, grin still plastered on her face, she grabbed Barbossa and dragged him to the partially stripped bed. Sitting down, she handed him the clothing and waved her hand at him to go change, shoving him playfully. Walking behind the screen he threw the bundled garment over the side, suddenly realizing that it was all one piece.

"Elizabeth! These are NOT PANTS!"

* * *

Ash stumbled into the cell as Barell pushed him, but kept his footing, reaching out to balance himself against the wall. Jenks shoved Noah after him, who took a few steps before falling to his knees. Salty sea water drenched him as Jenks threw a bucket of it at him. Hissing in pain, Noah attempted to crawl away from the entrance, but his body betrayed him, collapsing under its own weight. Ash rushed to his side as the two pirates strolled away laughing at their prisoner's misfortune.

"Noah? Noah?" Ash whispered gripping his friend's shoulder.

"Shhh, Ash. I'm fine. Just let me sleep," he murmured as he passed out. Ash settled down beside him. Glancing at the wounds, he hissed in sympathy before guilt over took him. I should've been sharing this pain he thought. Ripping the mid-length sleeves off of his shirt, he began to mop up the blood that still slightly flowed down Noah's back and down his sides.

"You don't have to protect me anymore Noah," he said to the silence surrounding him. "I'll fend for myself now. I won't let them hurt you anymore."

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed. Here's hoping I can update soon, but I haven't the faintest notion when that will be. I'll have plenty of time to write while on a six hour plane trip home for the holidays. As usual, thank you for reading. Please review. It's always nice to know if there is something I ought to fix or if anyone was satisfied with how I handled the events. Thanks again. And Happy Holidays.


	8. Marked

Author's Note: At last an update. I had this chapter written up for a while but just never got around to typing it. Sorry. Well anyway, here it is. Some unfortunate news: I left my outline for the next chapter at home and have no way of getting it until about the middle of next month so the story is on hold until then. Some good news: the outline is for the final chapter! Yay! Once more chapter to go!

As always, I own nothing. All rights go to their respective owners.

The second Will stepped onto the _Interceptor II_ Elizabeth was in his arms.

"He still has him. Beckett still has our son," she cried. Will held her tightly, burying his face in her hair.

"We'll get him back," Will whispered. Pulling back he looked his wife in the eyes. "What happened? The Dutchman came across your second mate from the Queen Majesty—Andre."

"We found Beckett, and during our battle he sunk the Queen." She paced away, running her hands through her hair, looking towards the horizon. "We had a prisoner exchange in return for taking down the sails. But he pushed them overboard and fled while we rescued them. Thought we had Noah, but we didn't," she murmured. "He's still got Noah."

"We'll get him. Why don't we talk to Jack and Barbossa? Jack's bound to have an insane plan." Pulling away, he kissed her on the forehead before kissing her again on the lips. "Come," he said, grabbing her hand and leading her to the captain's cabin. Walking into the cabin, Will was surprised to see Jack standing beside a woman in a deep burgundy dress complete with black lace and ribbon that tied around the back. However she wore a dark teal hat with a large feather sticking out of it.

"Barbossa?"

"Don't say a word," Barbossa hissed, a faint blush tingeing his cheeks.

"I knew you were cursed, but I didn't realize it meant you had to wear a dress."

"Shut up. This is your wife's fault." Will looked to his wife with a raise of an eyebrow, Elizabeth merely shrugging in response.

Turning back to the group Will asked: "Any ideas on finding Noah and Beckett?"

"No," said Jack, staring at a map of the ocean. "We can only guess where they are. Whichever direction we pick is based on pure luck."

"We have no way of tracking them," pointed out Barbossa, turning to look at the map as well. "And if we could, the only ship quick enough to catch them is _The Dutchman_."

"That would be accurate," Bootstrap said, stepping forward to stand next to his son.

"AGHHH!" Jack yelled. "Don't do that. I still have nightmares about that night you gave me the Black Spot." Bootstrap shrugged in response.

"You've been marked?" asked Barbossa.

"Yeah, worst event of my life. You were still dead at the time. A veritable tracking device, it was. Couldn't escape Jones no matter how hard I tried."

"So you tried to trade my soul to pay off your debt," Will said pointedly. Jack bowed his head and leaned over the map.

"Wait. Davy Jones could always find where you were because of the Black Spot?" Elizabeth asked, an idea beginning to take form in her mind.

"As I understand, it's a part of the captain's essence, similar to his heart, he'll always know where it is," replied Bootstrap.

"Then if Noah was given the Spot…"Elizabeth began.

"Then I can find him," finished Will.

"But how do we mark him in the first place?" Barbossa questioned.

"Bootstrap could do what…" Elizabeth trailed off as she saw Bootstrap shaking his head.

"It only works if I've been on the ship before," he supplied.

"Well that stops that plan," Will said.

"Ummm, well you see Will. Noah's on the Black Pearl; this isn't her," Barbossa mumbled.

"That solves the problem," Bootstrap said, smiling as he vanished.

"Why didn't _you _think of this before?" Jack asked Will. "Would have made this a whole lot easier."

"This job doesn't exactly come with a damn instruction manual," Will said with a glare.

Ash sat next to Noah, holding a cup of water to Noah's lips, which dribbled past his mouth. He wasn't able to lie on his back, the wounds still raw, just starting to scab over.

'Come on Noah," Ash whispered. He tried to roll Noah over and prop his head and back up, keeping them off the floor, but Ash was not strong enough. He fumbled his hold on Noah's arm and dropped him. Noah screamed as his back contacted the floor, ripping away the congealed and clotted blood, the sharp pain pulling him from his unconscious state.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Ash apologized profusely, tears glimmering in the corners of his eyes. Noah hissed in pain, breathing through clenched teeth. The young boy scrambled to grab the cup of water and in his hurry knocked it over. The small cup rolled into the corner farthest from the door and light of the glittering candle. Ash moved to get it when a hand reached out holding it. He screamed and stumbled back away from the hand and the emerging body that followed. Looking back at Noah's prone form, Ash stepped between the mysterious man and his vulnerable friend.

"Get back. Stay away from us," Ash said, holding up his hands in an attempt to ward the man off.

"Steady son. I'm here to help."

"You…you just appeared out of nowhere."

"There's a good explanation for that."

"I'm sure there is," replied Noah as he turned his head to look at the man. "Grandfather." Ash looked between Noah and his grandfather.

"What?" Ash said shocked.

"Fill this up again," Bootstrap said, handing the cup to the boy. He scurried away with the cup as Bootstrap kneeled next to his grandson.

"You're in pretty bad shape," he said as he maneuvered Noah to see his back. "Will's got a matching set of scars."

"How?"

"Incident a long time ago. He can tell you if he wants."

"Here's the water," Ash murmured, still in shock.

"Thank you." Taking the water Bootstrap gripped Noah's upper arm, careful to avoid the slowly healing gash, and helped him sit up enough to drink. Once he was done, Noah pushed himself up with the help of his grandfather to sit in a slumped position, leaning heavily on Bootstrap.

"So can you get us out of here?" Noah asked quietly, already knowing the answer.

"You know that isn't how it works."

"How what works?" Ash asked, sitting down across from the two men.

"My ability to appear out of thin air. As long as I've been on the ship before I can transport myself to it."

"Are you a witch?"

"Witches are women," pointed out Noah. "He's a crew man of _The Flying Dutchman_."

"_Flying Dutchman_! Davy Jones is real?"

"He was," replied Noah. "He was released from the job a couple decades ago and some one new took over."

"How would you know that?"

"He's my father."

"Your father is Davy Jones?"

"No, he's William Turner. His predecessor was Davy Jones."

"Oh God," Ash whispered, reeling back. "Wait, so you're dead?" he said pointing at Bootstrap.

"To keep it simple, yes."

"Oh God," Ash said as he fainted in shock. Bootstrap chuckled softly and reached out to check the boy.

"He's a good kid," Noah said fondly. "It's been a long day. Actually several days. So what's the plan?" Bootstrap stopped his inspection as he realized the boy would be fine and had merely fainted from probably the shock of learning he was talking to a dead man.

"I'll go topside, figure out the coordinates and direction you're heading in. Then I'll return to your mom and dad to report your location. We'll follow until we can catch up."

"But what if we change direction? You won't know."

"The Black Spot is useful in that the captain knows precisely where it is at all times. An uncanny ability."

"Indeed. So I'm being marked. How are they doing?"

"Worried sick."

"I thought so."

"We'll get you back and your little friend too."

"His name is Ash."

"Ash then. We'll get you guys soon. Between Jack, Barbossa, and your parents it shouldn't be an issue."

"Hmmm."

"Noah, I've got to go. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll survive."

"You'd better." Bootstrap gently grabbed Noah's left hand and held it between his own. Taking a deep breath pressed down. As he pulled his hands away a black spot was left in the center of Noah's palm. Noah looked at it.

"Never knew it would look like this. Then again, never expected to be marked," Noah said with a short laugh. Bootstrap chuckled in response and then gripped Noah's shoulder and slowly lowered him onto the ground to lie on his stomach. As Bootstrap stood and went to step away Noah's arm shot out and grasped his grandfather's ankle.

"Wait," Noah said.

"What?"

"Please don't tell Mom about my back. Or really anything of the condition I'm in."

"And Will?"

"I guess he could know. Just please don't tell Mother. She'd blame herself." Bootstrap smiled down at his grandson and knelt down once more so Noah could actually look into his face.

"I promise I will not tell Elizabeth. But I will be discussing this with Will."

"Thank you." Still kneeling, Bootstrap ruffled Noah's hair fondly.

"Take care my boy. And don't do anything stupid."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Noah said with a smile. Standing up, his grandfather backed away, fading into the darkness as he did so.

"When will he return," Elizabeth cried out. Jack, Barbossa, Will, and Robin stood in the captain's quarters watching Elizabeth pacing back and forth, which had begun shortly after Bootstrap had left.

"Be patient love. He'll be back soon," said Jack.

"Plus you're making the poor lad nervous," Barbossa said, nodding towards Robin who had gradually grown paler.

"But what if he something happened? What if he's hurt?" she said, continuing to pace.

"He's fine," Bootstrap said as he appeared next to Robin who proceeded to scream and then faint, Jack catching him before he hit the ground. "Damn, twice in one day," the older man mumbled to himself.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," Jack snarled as he set Robin down onto the floor. "Just walk through the door like a normal person." Bootstrap shrugged and turned to Elizabeth.

"He's all right."

"Oh thank God," she said, tears welling in her eyes. Will walked up and pulled her into an embrace from behind.

"Where is he?" Will asked.

"They certainly have gotten a good lead so the captain is a bit cocky. The ship is west of our current position and a good week's travel by my estimate."

"I'll go get us headed in the right direction," Barbossa said, heading out the door.

"And I suppose I'd better get this lad into a bunk. Let him sleep off the shock," Jack said as he hoisted Robin onto his back and half carried, half dragged the young man out. Bootstrap nodded at the couple and quietly left the room.

Spinning around Elizabeth threw her arms around Will's neck and kissed him fiercely. Pulling away she gazed at him and whispered to him quietly as if saying it aloud would break the spell: "We're going to get him. Noah's alive and well. Oh thank God." Will pulled her back into a hug, stroking her hair.

"Yes. We're going to get our son back."

"Will strolled out of the room, a smile plastered on his face. He and Elizabeth were elated. Noah would soon be back home. He had left her tracking their path on a map, and he was off to join Barbossa at the helm. As he went to mount the steps a hand shot out and grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the stairs. Finally he was pulled into a dark, unlit room and the door slammed shut behind him. A lamp was lit revealing a simple cabin with a bed and desk and the man who had grabbed him—his father.

"Father?" Will said, confusion apparent on his face.

"I needed to talk to you privately," Bootstrap responded.

"You could've just asked when we were back in the captain's quarters."

"Not in front of Elizabeth. She would've become suspicious."

"What are you hiding?" Suddenly a thought struck Will. "What happened to Noah?"

"He's not doing as well as I led you to believe."

"What happened?" Will reiterated, anger tingeing his voice. His eyes narrowed and a frown pulled at his lips. Bootstrap looked away, fidgeting, before finally fixing Will with an unblinking gaze.

"Noah's not in good shape. Not at all. He's followed in his father's footsteps and has the scars to prove it." Will unconsciously reached for his back and the whip marks scattered across it.

"He didn't," he whispered. Bootstrap nodded his head. Will sat down heavily on the edge of the bed.

"I don't know the circumstances, but physically he's a mess." Will hissed in sympathy.

"Why not tell Elizabeth? Why hide the truth?"

"You know how she'd reach. And so does Noah."

"He knows his mother well," said Will.

"You also know we cannot stay. We have already abandoned our duties for too long. I know you can feel it and it's getting stronger."

"I know. Nobody ever tells you that once get the job you can hear them calling. The souls we must ferry. That low keening noise in the back of your head, the pull in your gut after you've left the world between."

"We probably should leave tonight," supplied Bootstrap.

"Yes, you are right. The crew can't wait much longer. We leave tonight. Get the crew ready."

"Of course Captain," Bootstrap replied, giving a small salute. Will laughed quietly at his father's antics.

"I'll tell Elizabeth." Bootstrap nodded and snuffed the light as they left the cabin.

The next morning Elizabeth stood next to Barbossa at the helm staring out at the ocean. A few men scurried about in the early dawn as the sun peeked out from beyond the horizon and lit the deck and sails.

Barbossa was once again in the burgundy dress, his washed breeches hanging to dry in his cabin. Elizabeth in breeches and shirt tucked her hair up underneath her hat carefully, leaning against the railing, facing Barbossa. Holding an apple in one hand and gripping the wheel in the other, Barbossa consulted the compass hanging from the wheel, then carefully adjusted the course of the ship. The two stayed in companionable silence until finally she broke it.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said.

"What?" Barbossa cried, his head snapping to look at her. "What for?"

"Thank you for doing this again. To journey cross the oceans in order to retrieve someone precious to me." Barbossa shrugged.

"Well, I'm am trying to get back that statue. I don't plan on remaining a woman." He paused a moment before speaking again. "I must ask. How do you deal with it?" Elizabeth laughed, throwing her head back.

"Typical pirate." Barbossa smiled.

"Of course." Still chuckling, Elizabeth shook her head.

"Well thank you nonetheless." Pushing herself off the railing she headed down the stairs, walking towards the galley. Barbossa watched her go, a sad smile across his face.

"Thank me when Noah is by your side. Alive."

Author's Note: Thanks for reading. Always appreciative for anyone who takes the time from their day to read this story. Just a reminder: story is on hold until middle of March and then the final chapter will be submitted. Hoped you enjoyed. Feel free to comment if you wish.


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